Program Overview
The Penn Center for the Female Athlete focuses solely on treating active women of all ages and athletic abilities, including professional athletes, everyday athletes, active mothers, gymnasts, dancers and weekend warriors.
We understand the increased risk women have for certain sports-related injuries, like stress fractures and ACL tears. That’s why we have a specialized approach to diagnosis and treatment that takes into account each patient’s unique physical, nutritional, hormonal and psychological needs. By customizing each patient’s care plan, we make sure they experience optimal recovery. In addition to providing options for how best to treat your injury, we determine why your injury occurred in the first place, so you can avoid future injuries.
Led by sports medicine physician Kate E. Temme, MD, this program brings together a diverse group of experts, including physical medicine and rehabilitation doctors, orthopaedic surgeons and physical therapists, who specialize in addressing the unique needs of women.
As the only program of its kind in the region, we are dedicated to providing the latest advancements in female-specific sports medicine, so active women can continue to excel in their sport or activity of choice and enjoy a happy, healthy lifestyle.
Conditions Treated by the Center for the Female Athlete
Women’s biological makeup puts them at a higher risk for certain injuries. For instance, women are up to five times more likely than men to tear their ACLs. At the Penn Center for the Female Athlete, we recognize the risk factors unique to women and develop individualized treatment plans while avoiding a blanket approach to care.
We treat women with an array of sports-related conditions — with a focus on problems that women are at higher risk for — including:
Treatments and Services Offered by the Center for the Female Athlete
Depending on your injury, we may recommend one of the following treatment options:
- Arthroscopy of the knee and shoulder
- Bone health assessments and treatment: Depending on your condition, you may be referred to the Penn Bone Center
- Cartilage restoration
- Elite Athlete Performance Enhancement: If you are a female athlete who is not playing at your peak, our team will help advise you on injury prevention and performance enhancement
- Elbow tendon repair
- Fracture repair
- Knee ligament reconstruction (ACL surgery)
- Meniscal repair, resection or transplantation
- Rotator cuff repair
- Physical rehabilitation
- Second opinions
Why the Center for the Female Athlete Is Different
The most obvious benefit to coming to the Center for the Female Athlete for your care is that we are a team of orthopaedic experts across multiple disciplines who specialize in the unique needs of women. In addition, we offer:
- Diagnosis and treatment that addresses underlying causes of injuries specific to women to prevent future problems
- Leading edge imaging technology that allows musculoskeletal radiologists to make an accurate diagnosis that results in creating the best possible treatment plan
- Comprehensive surgical and non-surgical options for the full range of athletic injuries that women are at increased risk for (for example: ACL injuries, rotator cuff/shoulder injuries and stress fractures)
- Individualized treatment plans that provide an ongoing continuum of care from diagnosis to treatment, through follow-up care and rehabilitation
- An advanced pain management program that reduces or eliminates the need for narcotics by combining physical therapy, corticosteroid injections, anti-inflammatory medication and behavioral and cognitive therapies.
- A whole-body approach to treatment and care, while carefully considering a woman’s nutritional and hormonal history, as well as any limited mobility or physical weaknesses
- A new innovative technique called Tommy-John surgery, a procedure used to repair torn ligaments inside the elbow
- Second opinions